The $152 crypto mistake by Nancy Guthrie detectives that may have forced kidnappers underground
By Jared Downing
Published June 24, 2026, 5:30 a.m. ET
Investigators hunting Nancy Guthrie’s kidnappers have one glaring clue that’s been staring at them from the beginning — a bitcoin wallet sent by ransom note writers to Guthrie’s family.
Crypto experts say the ransom note and the wallet suggest that the kidnappers were “farkakta” amateurs, but detectives are also reportedly wondering if they made a massive, $152 blunder at the start of the case.
A ransom email — which mentions details about Guthrie’s home and an Apple watch that hadn’t been disclosed to the public — demanded $4 million in crypto for her return.
A follow-up email from the same IP address claimed she had died.
Detectives from the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department are reportedly second-guessing their choice to not to pay the $4 million ransom, sources within the case told the outlet Air Mail.
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https://nypost.com/2026/06/24/us-news/the-152-crypto-mistake-by-nancy-guthrie-detectives/